Now that it is safe and sound in Washington, I can relate part-one of the saga of the contents of this box. Although I cannot yet reveal what it is, I can say that the item is big. Patty bought it when she was down here but could not take it on her flight. We brainstormed several ideas for getting it to the states and finally settled on a certain shipping company that could get it there quickly. I filled out all the paperwork and had the box picked up on a Monday but when I returned from work the next day the box was sitting by my door. They would not transport a cardboard box. I had to have a special wooden box made for the occasion (doubling the weight). Much to my relief, the box is now safe at my sister's house and awaits its Christmas revealing. Shipping internationally is challenging and exciting.